Combined Juve and Bayern XI dominated by German giants
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The most eye-catching tie of the Champions League round of 16 sees Bayern Munich pitted against Juventus.
Pep Guardiola’s side top the Bundesliga, while the Old Lady are setting the pace in Serie A after winning 15 of their last 16.
Max Allegri took his side all the way to the final last season, while the German giants won the tournament in 2013 , highlighting the continental calibre of both sides.
Picking a combined Bayern and Juve XI is sure to cause a lot of debate, but here’s how we think it would look:
The most noticeable thing about this side is how much Bayern dominate, with eight of the eleven plying their trade in the Bundesliga.
This undoubtedly shows the quality Guardiola has at his disposal and it is understandable why his side are 6/4 favourites for Tuesday’s clash.
Interestingly, Kingsley Coman makes it into the combined team and has shone in Germany despite Juve letting him go out on loan.
Arturo Vidal is the other link-man in the line-up, with Bayern signing him after he was integral to the Serie A outfit reaching the final of this competition last term.
In goal the decision between Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer is a tough one, but the 29-year-old has firmly established himself as the best keeper in the world in recent years.
The centre-back partnership of Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini is one of the strongest in the world, with Barzagli in particular showing his worth in the 1-0 league win over Napoli.
Jerome Boateng would push these two for a spot if it were not for injury, while Phillip Lahm and David Alaba are obvious candidates to complete the back four.
Vidal has shown his quality for both clubs and a partnership with Paul Pogba in midfield is the best option of those available.
The Bayern trio of Douglas Costa, Thomas Muller and Coman are deadly going forward, with the three contributing 22 goals and 16 assists in the league this term.
Robert Lewandowski faces stiff competition from the Juventus pairing of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata, but the Polish striker has found the net 38 times in 36 appearances for club and country this season so has to be given the nod.
